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LibreOffice 4.1 Release Piles On New Features

Phoronix: LibreOffice 4.1 Release Piles On New Features

Just days after the Apache OpenOffice 4.0 release, The Document Foundation is ready with their release of LibreOffice 4.1. This release brings forward many new features to the open-source office suite, including the new IBM-donated sidebar UI found in OpenOffice 4.0...

I think the No1 problem for Libre/Open Office is the compatibility issues with the proprietary MS Office formats. I've tested both AOO and LO in a complex .doc and i can say that LO 4.1 is VERY improved but still there are some issues.

AOO on the other hand probably is improved too (its been a long time since i used it) but it has more bugs than LO opening a .doc

There are many bugs when you edit a .doc or .docx format with both MSO and LO (if you do a work with a friend together for example) too that i haven't tested the LO progress in that.

I think LO progress is fantastic though. I hope AOO "pressure" will push both projects development more.

I think the No1 problem for Libre/Open Office is the compatibility issues with the proprietary MS Office formats. I've tested both AOO and LO in a complex .doc and i can say that LO 4.1 is VERY improved but still there are some issues.

AOO on the other hand probably is improved too (its been a long time since i used it) but it has more bugs than LO opening a .doc

There are many bugs when you edit a .doc or .docx format with both MSO and LO (if you do a work with a friend together for example) too that i haven't tested the LO progress in that.

I think LO progress is fantastic though. I hope AOO "pressure" will push both projects development more.

I have to agree. Is there a site setup anywhere to easily submit documents that get messed up?

I think the No1 problem for Libre/Open Office is the compatibility issues with the proprietary MS Office formats.

/facepalm
How is this a problem at all (let alone #1) for LO? LO is free. LO has its own document formats. Use them. And if you want to use proprietary MS Office formats so desperately, there's an office suite specifically designed for that. It's called MS Office.

I have to agree. Is there a site setup anywhere to easily submit documents that get messed up?

Yes, their bug tracker.

Originally Posted by prodigy_

/facepalm
How is this a problem at all (let alone #1) for LO? LO is free. LO has its own document formats. Use them. And if you want to use proprietary MS Office formats so desperately, there's an office suite specifically designed for that. It's called MS Office.

That's true. Insist on using the Open Document Formats. The latest MS Office versions (everything since 2007 SP2, including it) have native support for them, too (you just have to not be dumb and select ODF on first run, instead of MS OOXML). So the only ones that have problems with it is the users of ancient MS Office versions, and they are the ones to blame for not upgrading to either a new one or LibreOffice.

I think the No1 problem for Libre/Open Office is the compatibility issues with the proprietary MS Office formats.

Newsflash: even MS office has compatibility issues with MS office formats. Those formats are such an unholy mess of spaghetti, they keep changing them each version... they're full of bugs, with MS software not following their own specifications, MS office document saved with one version of MS office may not open properly in another version of MS office, and so on.

Obviously, I was more thinking of an easier, more stream lined process for end users to upload problematic documents.

Originally Posted by GreatEmerald

That's true. Insist on using the Open Document Formats. The latest MS Office versions (everything since 2007 SP2, including it) have native support for them, too (you just have to not be dumb and select ODF on first run, instead of MS OOXML). So the only ones that have problems with it is the users of ancient MS Office versions, and they are the ones to blame for not upgrading to either a new one or LibreOffice.

Yes, because this is oh, so easy to do in a corporate setting, or with clients, or even to do in an academic setting. Face it - the majority of people use MS Office (at least in the US), so for LO/AOO to be able to gain market share at a decent rate, they need to be able to support these formats. If LO/AOO almost fully support MS Office formats, that will remove one of the bigger barriers of entry for end users to try it. This then increases the market share for LO/AOO, and once it gets a critical enough mass, the MS Office formats won't really matter anymore. Although I would also say that interface and performance improvements are also pretty important, too.

Yes, because this is oh, so easy to do in a corporate setting, or with clients, or even to do in an academic setting. Face it - the majority of people use MS Office (at least in the US), so for LO/AOO to be able to gain market share at a decent rate, they need to be able to support these formats. If LO/AOO almost fully support MS Office formats, that will remove one of the bigger barriers of entry for end users to try it. This then increases the market share for LO/AOO, and once it gets a critical enough mass, the MS Office formats won't really matter anymore. Although I would also say that interface and performance improvements are also pretty important, too.

In an academic setting, we here in Europe use PDF. There is literally no reason not to – everything supports reading PDFs, you can show slides in PDF format as well, and everything looks just the same for everyone. In a corporate setting, you usually don't get any fancy documents anyway, and LibreOffice handles spreadsheets just fine as it is. If you need to send documents to others, again, PDF.

/facepalm
How is this a problem at all (let alone #1) for LO? LO is free. LO has its own document formats. Use them. And if you want to use proprietary MS Office formats so desperately, there's an office suite specifically designed for that. It's called MS Office.

I the cage or cave you may live probably everyone uses LO so there is no problem. In real world I cant force everyone to use LO (partners, companys, public institutions) so there is a huge problem and thats why it is hard to work on serious projects with LO.

Ignoring that is an easy solution. Thank god, LO developers are aware of that and they are keep improving it.